WILD HEARTS

CHAPTER 4

Sidharth felt frustration mounting. He looked at the excel sheet on his laptop but his mind was clearly somewhere else. This was the third time he was going over the same numbers. He sighed and called his PA for another cup of black coffee. This wouldn't do. He had to approve and send the report in the next 1 hour. Lighting up a cigarette and rolling up his sleeves he put on his black rimmed glasses. To anyone walking into the room he would be a sight to behold. Sidharth was a lion at work. Exuding confidence and an aura that screamed authority and control. Unlike the current state of his mind. It seemed to be scattered. Focus. This is very unlike you. Do your job. He silently told himself. In the next 45 minutes he finally managed to send the necessary emails and sat back in his chair closing his eyes. And in no time his mind was back to where it was. Feeling agitated he got up and walked to the huge glass windows that had a view only the few fortunate could afford. Looking at the Mumbai skyline against the evening sky and a relatively calm Arabian Sea, he dragged on his cigarette.

3 days. For 3 days he'd been trying his luck to find out absolutely anything he could about her. He trawled social media but to no avail. Maybe her account was private? Or maybe she didn't believe in having an online presence? Like him, maybe she stayed away from it? No, that seemed unlikely. Her generation lived and breathed social media. The digital generation. Maybe it was him who just didn't know how to use social media!

Yesterday after exhausting all ideas he decided to call the Noir management and ask for the guestlist. He knew it was absolutely absurd and ridiculous. He used his position to get in touch with the concerned people and although he knew that perhaps what he was doing was not entirely ethical or legal he didn't really care and spent the next couple of hours in anticipation. When his email finally pinged with a pdf attached Sidharth clicked on it with bated breath. He took a moment to consider himself. What has come over him? This was so very out of character for him. And moreover, nothing, absolutely nothing ever came in the way of him executing his duties. So why was he bungling about these last 3 days? Pushing the thoughts away he clicked the document and scanned through the impossibly long guestlist of the night in question. Disappointment pooled in the pit of his stomach. There was no Shehnaaz. He rechecked. Same result. He knew it was a long stretch anyway and the chances of everyone who went to Noir signing in was also not very big. So why the disappointment? Feeling dejected he immersed himself into more work and finally went home at 1.00 am.

Looking at the sea below he wished his mind mirrored the same calmness. A knock made him turn.

"Hi Sidharth," entered his colleague and a company partner, Raman holding a slim folder.

"Hey Raman, tell me."

"So just went over the Mehta contract and all looks good. Keeping the hard copy for the physical signing."

"Did you speak to the legal team?" asked Sidharth.

"Just came from there. They will add the annexure in the next 1 hour and then we'll be fully ready for the signing. I'm about to leave so socha I'll just update you. You're leaving too?"

"Nahin I still need to wrap up some things and I'll wait for the legals to attach it. Phir I'll be off. You go. Have a nice evening."

"Cool". Raman was about to leave when he turned and said, "I forgot to thank you and Kushal for the party on Saturday. Mujhe laga main nahin aa paunga because of my Delhi trip but Kushal at the last minute changed it to the 12th. It was fun. It was a good night," he smiled and left, closing the door.

Sidharth smiled back and then suddenly froze. He couldn't put a finger on it but he felt something click. Like the missing piece of a jigsaw puzzle finally falling into place. Something that he had heard before.